This disclosure relates to systems, devices, methods, and related computer program products for smart buildings including the smart home. More particularly, this patent specification relates to smart device communications using relatively low energy communication types.
Some homes today are equipped with smart home networks to provide automated control of devices, appliances and systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) systems, lighting systems, alarm systems, and home theater and entertainment systems. Smart home fabrics may include one or more networks of devices interconnected to automation functions within the home. For example, a person may input a desired temperature and a schedule indicating when the person is away from home.
In some scenarios, one or more devices may have power constraints, network limitations, or constraints on available communication types. Thus, some devices with power constraints or other limitations (e.g., available communication types) may be constrained to use relatively low power networks or communication types. However, these relatively low power connections may have constraints (e.g., unidirectional communication) that interfere with complete connectivity between the devices. Furthermore, other devices that are to connect to the one or more devices may only have hardware (e.g., radios) to communicate using a select (e.g., 802.15) communication type thereby limiting connection options between the devices.
Furthermore, in some scenarios, when a new device is to be added to a network and/or fabric, it may be difficult to reliably, securely, and simply connect the new device to network or fabric. Specifically, establishing a secure connection between devices before adding the new device to the network or fabric may employ much undesirable interaction from a user completing the network/fabric connection.